第2681期:Scientists Identify Genes Behind Humans' Big Brains

Scientists have identified three genes that may have played an important part in a major development in human evolution.科学家已经确定了三个可能在人类进化的重大发展中起重要作用的基因。The genes are being linked to the increase in brain size that took place in ancestors of human beings. This increase led to the development of mental abilities that define what it means to be human.这些基因与人类祖先发生的大脑大小的增加有关。 这种增长导致了定义人类含义的心理能力的发展。Researchers published two reports on their observations of the genes in the publication Cell in late May.研究人员发表了两份有关他们对5月下旬出版物细胞基因的观察的报告。The researchers believe the genes first appeared between three and four million years ago. This was just before a period in the fossil record that shows a major brain enlargement in the species from which humans evolved.研究人员认为，这些基因首次出现在三到四百万年前。 这是在化石记录中的一段时间之前，显示了人类进化的物种中的大脑肿大。The three genes share almost the exact same qualities. Along with a fourth one that seems to serve no purpose, they are called NOTCH2NL genes. They came from a gene family believed to have developed hundreds of millions of years ago. They are also important in the development of embryos.这三个基因几乎具有完全相同的品质。 除了似乎没有目的的第四个外，它们被称为Notch2nl基因。 他们来自一个据信基因家族，该家族已经发展了数亿年。 它们在胚胎的发展中也很重要。The NOTCH2NL genes are especially active in the collection of nerve stem cells in the cerebral cortex. The cerebral cortex is the outer part of the brain responsible for the highest mental processes. These include language, memory and reasoning.Notch2nl基因在大脑皮层中神经干细胞的收集中特别活跃。 大脑皮层是负责最高心理过程的大脑外部部分。 这些包括语言，记忆和推理。The genes were found to slow the development of stem cells in the cerebral cortex into neurons in the embryo. The researchers say this delay leads to the production of a higher number of more developed nerve cells in this area of the brain.发现这些基因会减慢脑皮质中干细胞在胚胎中神经元中的发育。 研究人员说，这种延迟会导致在大脑该区域中产生更高数量的发达神经细胞。Pierre Vanderhaeghen is a developmental neurobiologist at the Université Libre de Bruxelles in Belgium. He told the Reuters news service that, in large part, the cerebral cortex is responsible for what defines humans as a species and as individuals.Pierre Vanderhaeghen是比利时的Libre de Bruxelles大学的发展神经生物学家。 他告诉路透社新闻服务，在很大程度上，大脑皮层造成了将人类定义为一种物种和个人的原因。“Understanding how it emerged in evolution is a fascinating question, touching at the basic origins of mankind,” said Vanderhaeghen.范德海格说：“了解它在进化中的出现是一个令人着迷的问题，它触及了人类的基本起源。”David Haussler is a biomolecular engineer and the scientific director of the University of California, Santa Cruz Genomics Institute. He added that it is “the ultimate evolutionary question” and a very interesting area of research in which to work.戴维·豪斯勒（David Haussler）是一位生物分子工程师，也是加利福尼亚大学圣克鲁斯基因组学院的科学主任。 他补充说，这是“最终的进化问题”，也是一个非常有趣的研究领域。The species Australopithecus afarensis is an ancestor of humans that combined both ape-like and human-like qualities. The well-known fossil named “Lucy,” discovered in Ethiopia in 1974, was a member of that species. Lucy lived in Africa at about the time these genes are believed to have appeared.Australopithecus Afarensis是人类的祖先，它们既结合了猿类样和类人的品质。 著名的化石名为“露西”，于1974年在埃塞俄比亚发现，是该物种的成员。 露西大约在这些基因出现的时候就住在非洲。Sofie Salama is a UC-Santa Cruz biomolecular engineering research scientist. She said it would be great if it were possible to record the complete order of all of Lucy’s genetic material, her DNA. But she noted that it would be nearly impossible.Sofie Salama是UC-Santa Cruz生物分子工程研究科学家。 她说，如果有可能记录露西所有遗传材料，她的DNA的完整顺序，那就太好了。 但是她指出，这几乎是不可能的。FILE PHOTO: Students attend a lecture in the auditorium of a university in Munich, Germany, May 25, 2016. REUTERS/Michaela RehleThe NOTCH2NL genes are not present in the closest genetic relatives to human beings. None were found in monkeys or orangutans.Notch2nl基因不存在于最接近人类的遗传亲属中。 在猴子或猩猩中没有发现。However, Reuters reports that the researchers did find the genes in the remains of two human ancestor species: Neanderthals and Denisovans.但是，路透社报道说，研究人员确实在两个人类祖先物种的遗迹中找到了基因：尼安德特人和丹尼索凡夫人。NOTCH2NL gene abnormalities were found to be connected problems that affect the brain. These include autism, schizophrenia and both unusually large and unusually small head size.发现Notch2nl基因异常是影响大脑的问题。 这些包括自闭症，精神分裂症以及头部大小异常大且异常小。

Scientists say they have confirmed that strange-looking fossils from more than 500 million years ago are remains of an animal.科学家说，他们已经确认，超过5亿年前的奇怪化石是动物的遗体。That would make it one of the earliest known creatures.那将使它成为最早的已知生物之一。The fossils are found within rocks. They are round with many lines, and look similar to the markings of a leaf.化石在岩石中发现。 它们的圆形有许多线条，看起来与叶子的标记相似。The fossils were first described in 1947. They have been found in Australia and Russia. Some are very small; others are over a meter long.这些化石于1947年首次描述。它们在澳大利亚和俄罗斯发现。 有些很小； 其他人则超过一米。Scientists have named the mysterious ancient organism that left these fossils behind “Dickinsonia.”科学家将神秘的古代有机体命名为，将这些化石留在了“狄金森尼亚”之后。But what exactly was it?但是到底是什么？In the past, some scientists suggested it was an animal. Others believed it was a single-celled organism called a protist.过去，一些科学家认为这是动物。 其他人则认为这是一种称为put虫的单细胞生物。Researchers presented evidence that Dickinsonia was an animal in a recent paper. The paper appeared in the publication Science.研究人员提供了证据，表明狄金森尼亚是最近的一篇论文中的动物。 该论文出现在出版科学中。The most important evidence was that Dickinsonia fossils found in Russia contained carbon-bearing substances produced by animals.最重要的证据是，在俄罗斯发现的狄金尼亚化石中含有动物产生的碳含量。Experts not connected to the study called that evidence strong. They also said most scientists who had studied the fossils already believed that Dickinsonia was probably an animal.与研究没有联系的专家称这证据很强烈。 他们还说，大多数研究化石的科学家已经相信狄金森尼亚可能是动物。Douglas Erwin is with the Smithsonian Institution. He said he is sure the fossils are from an animal.道格拉斯·埃文（Douglas Erwin）与史密森尼机构在一起。 他说，他确定化石来自动物。It is not clear when Dickinsonia lived. Some fossils are about 558 million years old, said Jochen Brocks of the Australian National University in Canberra. He was one of the researchers involved in the study.目前尚不清楚迪金森尼何时居住。 堪培拉澳大利亚国立大学的Jochen Brocks说，一些化石的历史了约5.58亿年。 他是参与研究的研究人员之一。Brocks considers Dickinsonia to be “the very oldest animal that we can be sure about. He added that it is about 2 million years older than another widely accepted animal fossil.布罗克（Brocks）认为狄金森尼亚（Dickinsonia）是“我们可以确定的最古老的动物。他补充说，它比另一种被广泛接受的动物化石大约200万年。Brocks said scientists do not know much about what Dickinsonia looked like. But he said they do know it was “soft and flexible.”布罗克斯说，科学家对狄金森尼的样子不太了解。 但是他说他们确实知道这是“柔软而灵活的”。Dickinsonia was not the first animal on Earth. Analysis of the genetic materials of living animals suggests that animals first appeared more than 720 million years ago. But scientists have never found fossils that old.狄金森尼亚不是地球上的第一只动物。 对活动物的遗传材料的分析表明，动物首先出现在7.2亿年前。 但是科学家从未发现化石那么古老。

Millions of years ago, many large, strange-looking sea creatures lived in what is now the South Atlantic Ocean. A museum in Washington, D.C., is giving visitors a chance to learn about these ancient animals.数百万年前，许多大型，奇怪的海洋生物都生活在现在的南大西洋。 华盛顿特区的一家博物馆为游客提供了了解这些古老动物的机会。Scientists say the continents of South America and Africa separated millions of years ago. As this happened, they say, many kinds of dangerous animals and other lifeforms settled in the newly formed body of water off the coast of Angola.科学家说，南美和非洲的大洲分开了数百万年前。 他们说，当发生这种情况时，许多危险的动物和其他生命形式定居在安哥拉沿海的新形成的水体中。Today, scientists are studying ancient animal remains discovered on the Angolan coast. It is part of a project created by an international team of researchers called Projecto PaleoAngola. The researchers come from Angola, Portugal, The Netherlands and the United States.如今，科学家正在研究在安哥拉海岸发现的古代动物遗体。 它是由一个名为Projecto Paleoangola的国际研究人员创建的项目的一部分。 研究人员来自安哥拉，葡萄牙，荷兰和美国。One U.S. researcher involved with the project is Louis Jacobs of Southern Methodist University, or SMU, in Dallas, Texas. He told VOA that scientists knew there would be remains in the area, but “didn't know how good they would be.”一位参与该项目的美国研究人员是德克萨斯州达拉斯的南方卫理公会大学的路易斯·雅各布斯（Louis Jacobs）。 他告诉VOA，科学家知道该地区会有遗骸，但“不知道它们会有多好。”Jacobs and a team of scientists and students at SMU helped prepare the remains to be shown at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.雅各布斯（Jacobs）和SMU的一组科学家和学生团队帮助准备了遗体，将在华盛顿特区的国家自然历史博物馆展出。He said visitors to the museum can see the similarity between the ancient and modern ocean environment and animals.他说，博物馆的游客可以看到古代和现代海洋环境与动物之间的相似性。Michael Polcyn is another researcher at SMU. He says one ancient fish-eating animal had a long nose and teeth similar to that of a dolphin. He notes that visitors can see the remains of large, fierce animals like the mosasaur, as well as gentler creatures like an ancient giant sea turtle.Michael Polcyn是SMU的另一位研究员。 他说，一只食用鱼类的动物的鼻子和牙齿与海豚类似。 他指出，游客可以看到像莫萨尔这样的大而凶猛的动物的遗体，以及像古老的巨型海龟这样的柔和生物。"We have a snapshot of this moment in time 72 million years ago that has preserved all of these animals that were living together in one place."“我们有7200万年前的这一刻的快照，保存了所有这些动物，它们一起生活在一个地方。”Scientists say a large rock from space hit the earth millions of years ago and killed most of the animals.科学家说，太空中的一块大石头袭击了数百万年前的地球，并杀死了大多数动物。

A kind of tortoise not seen in more than 110 years has been found in the Galapagos Islands.在加拉帕戈斯群岛已经发现了一种超过110年的乌龟。A female from a species known as the Fernandina giant tortoise was discovered last weekend on the island of Fernandina.上周末在费尔南迪纳岛上发现了一个名为Fernandina巨型龟的物种的雌性。The Galapagos is a group of 20 islands in the eastern Pacific Ocean, about 1,000 kilometers off the coast of Ecuador.加拉帕戈斯（Galapagos）是东太平洋的20个岛屿，距离厄瓜多尔海岸约1000公里。The islands belong to Ecuador and the tortoise discovery was announced by the country’s ministry of environment. It said that the creature was identified by researchers from the Galapagos National Park and the Galapagos Conservancy, a group based in the United States.这些岛屿属于厄瓜多尔，该国环境部宣布了乌龟发现。 它说，该生物是由加拉帕戈斯国家公园（Galapagos National Park）和总部位于美国的组织加拉帕戈斯保护协会（Galapagos Consercan）的研究人员确定的。Wildlife experts had thought the Fernandina giant tortoise no longer existed.野生动植物专家认为不再存在Fernandina巨人乌龟。The researchers said they believe the adult female tortoise is more than 100 years old. The animal was taken to a breeding center for giant tortoises on the Galapagos island of Santa Cruz.研究人员说，他们认为成年女性乌龟已有100多年的历史。 该动物被带到加拉帕戈斯岛圣克鲁斯岛上的巨型乌龟的繁殖中心。The International Union for Conservation of Nature says the only other living member of the species was found in 1906. Since then, researchers have found some evidence of Fernandina giant tortoise activity. There was an unconfirmed sighting in 2009. But the latest find was the first new confirmed sighting of the species.国际自然保护联盟说，该物种中唯一的其他活着的成员是1906年发现的。从那时起，研究人员发现了一些Fernandina巨人乌龟活动的证据。 2009年有一个未经证实的目击。但最新发现是对该物种的首个新的确认目击。Investigators believe there may be more members of the species on Fernandina Island because of animal droppings and tracks they found.调查人员认为，由于他们发现的动物粪便和曲目，在费尔南迪纳岛上可能会有更多的物种成员。Danny Rueda is the director of Galapagos National Park. He says the discovery provides new hope for possible successful breeding. "This encourages us to strengthen our search plans to find other turtles, which will allow us to start a breeding program in captivity to recover this species," he said in a statement.丹尼·鲁达（Danny Rueda）是加拉帕戈斯国家公园（Galapagos National Park）的主任。 他说，这一发现为可能的成功繁殖提供了新的希望。 他在一份声明中说：“这鼓励我们加强我们的搜索计划，以找到其他海龟，这将使我们能够在被囚禁中开始一个繁殖计划，以恢复该物种。”Fernandina is the third-largest island in the Galapagos. A volcano there is one of the most active in the world. The International Union for Conservation of Nature said it feared the species was likely lost to repeated volcanic lava flows “that nearly cover the island.”费尔南迪娜（Fernandina）是加拉帕戈斯（Galapagos）的第三大岛。 火山是世界上最活跃的火山之一。 国际自然保护联盟表示，人们担心这种物种可能会因为“几乎覆盖该岛”的重复火山熔岩流失。Ecuador’s Environment Minister, Marcelo Mata Guerrero, said the government fully supports additional research and development efforts aimed at saving the species.厄瓜多尔环境部长马塞洛·马塔·格雷罗（Marcelo Mata Guerrero）表示，政府完全支持旨在拯救该物种的其他研发工作。

At an animal hospital in the Northeast United States, a biologist takes blood from a sick loggerhead sea turtle named Honey Bun. 在美国东北部的一家动物医院，一名生物学家从一只病态的Loggerhead海龟中取血，名为Honey Bun。 This is one of the first steps scientists must take before treating and rehabilitating the turtle so that it can be returned into the wild. 这是科学家在治疗和修复乌龟之前必须采取的第一步，以便它可以归还野外。 Cape Cod, in the state of Massachusetts, may have some of the largest numbers of turtle strandings in the world. 在马萨诸塞州，科德角（Cape Cod）可能拥有世界上最多的乌龟束缚。 The number of turtles that became trapped on Cape Cod beaches has risen over the past 10 years. That information comes from the Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary. 在过去的10年中，被困在鳕鱼角海滩上的海龟数量增加了。 这些信息来自大众奥杜邦的Wellfleet Bay野生动物保护区。 This year, volunteers found 829 turtles washed up on the sand. About half of them were dead, including some that were frozen solid. That number is nearly twice what workers found in 2016 and nearly 10 times more than 2008. 今年，志愿者发现829只乌龟在沙滩上冲洗掉。 其中大约一半死了，其中包括一些冷冻固体。 这个数字几乎是工人在2016年发现的两倍，是2008年的几乎10倍。 Some experts think the number of washed up turtles is related to climate change. 一些专家认为被冲洗的海龟的数量与气候变化有关。 A paper published in PLOS ONE notes that there were more strandings of Kemp’s ridley sea turtles in years with warmer sea-surface temperatures. It added that of the threats to turtle populations, “climate change may present the broadest threat for sea turtle conservation.” PLOS在PLOS上发表的一篇论文指出，多年来，肯普的Ridley海龟的搁浅，海面温度更高。 它补充说，在对乌龟人群的威胁中，“气候变化可能对海龟保护构成最广泛的威胁”。 Over the past 10 years, many turtles have been moving north from the Gulf of Mexico into the warming waters of the Gulf of Maine. There, they feed on mussels, crabs and other sea creatures. 在过去的10年中，许多海龟从墨西哥湾向北移动到缅因州湾的温暖水域。 在那里，它们以贻贝，螃蟹和其他海洋生物为食。 Cape Cod extends into the Atlantic Ocean, serving as a kind of trap for turtles. When the waters cool there, the animals start to have health problems, like developing pneumonia. They have problems moving and eating. 科德角延伸到大西洋，是乌龟的陷阱。 当那里的水冷却时，动物开始存在健康问题，例如患肺炎。 他们在移动和饮食方面存在问题。 Bob Prescott is the director of Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary and helped to prepare the PLOS ONE paper. He notes that the sea turtles “know how to leave, but the Cape is like a trap – a hook within a hook.” 鲍勃·普雷斯科特（Bob Prescott）是Wellfleet Bay野生动物保护区的董事，并帮助准备了PLOS One论文。 他指出，海龟“知道如何离开，但斗篷就像一个陷阱 - 钩子里的钩子。” If the turtles survive, it can take months before they are fully recovered. Adam Kennedy is a biologist at New England Aquarium’s sea turtle hospital in Quincy, Massachusetts. He says that when the turtles arrive at the hospital “they look like they are dead, especially in December.” 如果海龟生存，可能需要几个月的时间才能完全恢复。 亚当·肯尼迪（Adam Kennedy）是马萨诸塞州昆西的新英格兰水族馆海龟医院的生物学家。 他说，当海龟到达医院时，“它们看起来好像已经死了，尤其是在十二月。” Other experts argue that climate change alone cannot explain the increased number of turtle strandings. 其他专家认为，仅气候变化无法解释乌龟束缚的数量增加。Jeffrey Seminoff heads the Marine Turtle Ecology and Assessment Program at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service. He believes that the high number of strandings “probably results from the simple fact that there’s more turtles.” 杰弗里·塞诺夫（Jeffrey Seminoff）领导着国家海洋和大气管理局国家海洋渔业局的海龟生态和评估计划。 他认为，大量搁浅“可能是由于有更多海龟的简单事实而导致的。”Seminoff said that the recovery of the turtle population and “success of conservation efforts at the nesting beaches” could explain the higher number of turtle strandings. Seminoff说，乌龟种群的恢复和“筑巢海滩的保护工作的成功”可以解释乌龟的数量更高。 Kennedy, the biologist, said that he has mixed feelings when the turtles are released back into the wild. “It’s bittersweet, because you spend so much time with them but ultimately every one of these guys getting back to the ocean helps the population.” 生物学家肯尼迪（Kennedy）说，当海龟被释放回野外时，他的感受也不同。 “这很苦乐参半，因为您花了很多时间与他们在一起，但最终，这些家伙回到海洋中的每个人都会帮助人口。” Recently, Honey Bun – the turtle we met at the beginning of our report – and other turtles were taken to Florida. They were released into the water. 最近，蜂蜜面包 - 我们在报告开头遇到的乌龟 - 其他海龟被带到佛罗里达。 他们被释放到水中。 Kelly Shaffer is with National Aquarium Baltimore, which worked with four other groups to organize the turtles’ release. She noted that she feels a sense of “joy and accomplishment” at “being able to put them back out there.” 凯利·谢弗（Kelly Shaffer）与国家水族馆巴尔的摩（National Aquarium Baltimore）一起，该水族馆与其他四个团体合作组织了乌龟的释放。 她指出，她对“能够将它们放回那里”感到“喜悦和成就”感到“喜悦和成就”。

Now, just as scientists are beginning to fully understand these unusual creatures, the turtles are quickly disappearing. Similar population decreases have also been documented at beaches where leatherbacks nest on the western Pacific. 现在，就像科学家开始完全理解这些异常生物一样，乌龟也很快消失了。 在西太平洋筑巢的海滩上，还记录了类似的人口减少。Scientists say that if nothing changes, the leatherbacks could completely disappear from the U.S. West Coast within 30 years. The population drops are mainly blamed on international fishing activities, the destruction of nesting grounds and climate change. 科学家说，如果什么都没有改变，棱角状可能会在30年内从美国西海岸完全消失。 人口下降主要归咎于国际捕鱼活动，筑巢场的破坏和气候变化。 “The turtles were there and we finally started paying attention,” said Jim Harvey, director of San Jose State University's Moss Landing Marine Laboratories. He was a co-writer of the new study. “We got into looking at the story just as the story was ending,” Harvey told the AP. 圣何塞州立大学苔藓陆战海洋实验室主任吉姆·哈维（Jim Harvey）说：“乌龟在那里，我们终于开始关注。” 他是新研究的合着者。 哈维对美联社说：“随着故事的结尾，我们开始研究这个故事。” The study provides important information, but also shows the threats the leatherbacks face, said Daniel Pauly, a fisheries professor at the University of British Columbia in Canada. Pauly, who was not involved in the study, is an international expert on the effects of fishing on ocean ecosystems. 加拿大不列颠哥伦比亚大学的渔业教授丹尼尔·保利（Daniel Pauly）说，这项研究提供了重要的信息，但也显示了棱角状面部的威胁。 没有参与该研究的Pauly是捕鱼对海洋生态系统影响的国际专家。 The animals can be killed when they get trapped in fishing equipment. Scientists say the population is also harmed because a lot of turtle eggs are removed from beaches. 当动物被困在钓鱼设备中时，它们可能会被杀死。 科学家说，人口也受到伤害，因为从海滩上移走了许多乌龟蛋。Researchers say that while all the world's leatherbacks are under pressure, the group that migrates for months across the Pacific faces the greatest threats. 研究人员说，虽然世界上所有的棱角扣都承受着压力，但在太平洋迁移数月的小组面临着最大的威胁。 “If you find the decline in one place, that might have a number of causes, but if you find the same estimate of decline in two places that is something much more serious,” Pauly said. He added that the sea turtles “are really in big trouble.” Pauly说：“如果您发现一个地方的下降，可能会有很多原因，但是如果您发现两个地方下降的估计值相同，那么这是更严重的事情。” 他补充说，海龟“确实遇到了很大的麻烦”。 NOAA launched an aggressive plan to save leatherbacks in 2015 and is set to release a new action plan this month. The plan is meant to persuade governments and international organizations to join efforts to save the turtles. NOAA启动了一项激进的计划，以节省2015年的棱皮术，并将在本月发布新的动作计划。 该计划旨在说服政府和国际组织加入拯救海龟的努力。 Benson, the NOAA ecologist, said there is still time to stop the decrease, but that it will require an immediate, international effort. “If nothing is done to reverse this course, this population will become … extinct in the Pacific Ocean." NOAA生态学家本森（Benson）说，还有时间停止下降，但这将需要立即，国际上的努力。 “如果没有采取任何措施来扭转这一课程，那么在太平洋灭绝的人群将成为……”。”

Scientists say there has been a major drop in the population of leatherback sea turtles off the U.S. West Coast. 科学家说，美国西海岸的棱皮海龟人口大幅下降。 Researchers say there was an 80 percent drop in one group of leatherbacks found off the California coast over the past 30 years. One recent study found a 5.6 percent yearly decrease in the population. 研究人员说，在过去30年中，加利福尼亚海岸在加利福尼亚海岸发现的一组棱皮术下降了80％。 最近的一项研究发现，人口年度下降了5.6％。 Leatherbacks are massive sea turtles dating back to the time of the dinosaurs. The animals can grow up to 1.5 meters in length and weigh as much as 680 kilograms. 棱皮是可以追溯到恐龙时代的巨大海龟。 这些动物的长度长达1.5米，重达680公斤。 The leatherback sea turtles found along the U.S. Pacific coast are actually born thousands of kilometers away, on beaches in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands. The animals migrate 11,000 kilometers across the Pacific Ocean to feed on jellyfish in waters off the U.S. West Coast. Then, they swim back. 沿着美国太平洋海岸发现的棱皮海龟实际上诞生于印度尼西亚，巴布亚新几内亚，瓦努阿图和所罗门群岛的海滩上数千公里。 这些动物在整个太平洋上迁移了11,000公里，以美国西海岸海水中的水母为食。 然后，他们向后游回。As many as 60 percent of the leatherback turtles born in the western Pacific Ocean are believed to make the trip to California. Scientists are not sure why some do and others do not. Some go farther north, to waters off Oregon or Washington state. 据信，在西太平洋出生的棱皮龟中，多达60％是前往加利福尼亚的旅行。 科学家不确定为什么有些人这样做，而另一些人则不知道。 有些人向北走得更远，到达俄勒冈州或华盛顿州附近的水域。 Scott Benson is an ecologist with the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) fisheries service in Monterey, California. He has studied the turtles for many years and recently co-wrote a study on leatherback populations. Benson told The Associated Press that the long trip across the Pacific demonstrates the strength of the sea turtles. 斯科特·本森（Scott Benson）是加利福尼亚州蒙特雷的美国国家海洋和大气管理局（NOAA）渔业服务的生态学家。 他研究了乌龟多年，最近共同撰写了一项有关棱皮师人群的研究。 本森告诉美联社，穿越太平洋的漫长旅程展示了海龟的力量。“There are birds that go farther, but they fly. There's a whale shark that might swim a little further, but it doesn't have to come up for air,” he said. The leatherbacks, he noted, are “actually pushing water all the way across the Pacific Ocean.” 他说：“有些鸟会走得更远，但是它们会飞。有一条鲸鲨可能会走得更远，但不必升起空气。” 他指出，棱皮的背包“实际上是在太平洋上一直推着水。”

Scientists found the deep tracks left by these icebergs by looking at energy companies' seismic surveys of the North Sea. It showed icebergs the size of Norwich were once found off the eastern coast of Scotland. This is the first hard evidence that the ice sheet that covered Britain and Ireland 18,000 years ago produced such large icebergs. 科学家们通过分析能源公司对北海的地震勘测资料发现了冰山留下的深深的轨迹。资料表明与诺里奇市大小相当的冰山曾出现在苏格兰的东海岸。这是首个确凿证据证明 1.8 万年前覆盖着不列颠和爱尔兰的冰盖曾行成过如此巨大的冰山。 The findings may help scientists answer fundamental questions about how the Antarctic ice sheet may be affected as the ice shelves around its edge become unstable in a warming world. 这些发现或许能帮助科学家们解答关于南极冰盖的一些关键问题：随着全球变暖，南极冰盖边缘的冰架变得愈发不稳定，南极冰盖将受到怎样的影响。

Researchers from King's College and Imperial College developed a material that mimics the environment needed for tooth development, allowing cells to send signals and begin forming a tooth. 伦敦国王学院和帝国理工大学的研究人员研发出了一种模拟牙齿生长环境的材料，这种材料可以促使细胞发出信号并开始形成牙齿。 The idea is that the lab-grown teeth would naturally regenerate and integrate into the jaw, creating a new set that's stronger and far more durable than traditional fillings or implants. 这项研究的想法是让实验室培育的牙齿能够自然地再生并与颌骨结合在一起，从而长出一套更坚固的新牙，其耐用度也会优于补牙用的传统填充材料或种植牙。 It could take years before these lab-grown teeth are seen in the mouths of dental patients. But scientists say once they discover how to do it, it will revolutionise oral health. 我们可能还需要很多年时间才能看到这种在实验室中培育的牙齿被应用于牙科患者的口腔中。但是科学家们表示，一旦他们研究出应用方法，此项技术就将彻底改变口腔健康。

"Welcome! Shoes off please." In many Asian countries, removing shoes when you enter someone's home is expected – it shows respect and ensures cleanliness. In other places, such as the UK, however, the social norms are more ambiguous. Some Brits might have a strict "shoes off" rule, while others may be squeamish about seeing others' socks or bare feet. What do the scientists say? “欢迎！请脱鞋。” 在许多亚洲国家，预计进入某人的家时，脱鞋 - 它表现出尊重并确保清洁。 但是，在其他地方，例如英国，社会规范更加模棱两可。 有些英国人可能有严格的“鞋子”规则，而另一些人可能会因为看到别人的袜子或赤脚而感到沮丧。 科学家怎么说？If you remove your shoes at the door for cleanliness, you're probably thinking about the visible dirt – urban dust, mud and grass that has hitched a ride from the outside world on the sole of your shoe. But the real problems are microscopic. A review of research called 'Shoe soles as a potential vector for pathogen transmission' found a high prevalence of dangerous bacteria on shoe soles, which could lead to illness. Children under five are particularly at risk because of their closeness to the floor and developing immune systems. 如果您在门口脱下鞋子以保持清洁度，那么您可能会考虑可见的污垢 - 城市灰尘，泥土和草，这些灰尘，泥土和草已从鞋子的鞋底上搭便车。 但是真正的问题是显微镜。 对称为“鞋底作为病原体传播的潜在载体”的研究的综述发现，鞋底危险细菌的流行率很高，这可能导致疾病。 五岁以下的儿童由于与地板的亲密关系和发展免疫系统的危险尤其危险。 Germs aside, shoe soles can also bring in nasty chemicals like pesticides and herbicides, exposure to which can cause headaches, dizziness, nausea and vomiting, according to a study by Muhammad Sarwar, published in Cogent Medicine. Allergens such as pollen can also enter your home via your shoes, which can be a big issue if you suffer with hay fever or have respiratory issues. Isn't your home meant to be a safe haven? 根据3种细菌，鞋底还可以引入令人讨厌的化学物质，例如农药和除草剂，暴露于穆罕默德·萨瓦尔（Muhammad Sarwar）的一项研究中，可能会引起头痛，头晕，恶心和呕吐。 过敏原（例如花粉）也可以通过鞋子进入您的家，如果您患有花粉症或呼吸道问题，这可能是一个大问题。 您的家不是要成为避风港吗？But it's not just about hygiene. Going shoeless can improve things such as balance, body awareness and strength and stability in your muscles, according to a medically reviewed article called 'Does Walking Barefoot Have Health Benefits?'. "In theory, walking barefoot more closely restores our 'natural' walking pattern, also known as our gait," explains foot and ankle specialist Jonathan Kaplan. 但这不仅与卫生有关。 根据医学审查的文章，“肌肉中的平衡，身体意识，力量和稳定性”等文章称为“赤脚行走是否有健康好处？”。 “从理论上讲，赤脚行走更接近恢复我们的'自然'步行模式，也称为步态，”脚脚踝专家乔纳森·卡普兰（Jonathan Kaplan）解释说。 In cultures where a shoe-free home is the norm, the reasons are backed by science. And in places where the rules are less clear, maybe it's time to think about leaving our outdoor shoes at the threshold. There's an old African proverb that states "When you leave your shoes at the doorstep, you leave your troubles behind." 在不含鞋子房屋的文化中，原因是科学支持的。 在规则不太明确的地方，也许是时候考虑将我们的户外鞋子留在门槛上了。 有一个古老的非洲谚语说：“当您将鞋子留在门口时，您会留下麻烦。”